meemalee

Mogok Pork Curry (photo by Luiz Hara ) My mother is from Mogok, a chilly gem-mining town in the hilly north of Burma, where everyone adores pork ( I mentioned before that they refer to wages as "pork funds").  This classic Mogok curry is more or less used to wean Burmese children - my nephews and nieces can eat bowls and bowls of the stuff, as it's sweet and mild, yet addictive.  Before my youngest nephew could talk properly, whenever he visited his grandparents, he'd ask for " pork and yice " (pork and rice), and I'm pleased to say that my one year old daughter is now an equally big fan. BURMESE PORK CURRY, MOGOK-STYLE ( Wet-thar Hnut ) Serves 4 to 6, freezes well 1 kg pork leg or shoulder, with some fat, diced into 2.5cm cubes 100ml malt vinegar 4 medium white onions, peeled 4 cloves of garlic, peeled 2cm piece of fresh root ginger, peeled 4 tbsp groundnut oil 1 tbsp caster sugar 1 tbsp light soy sauce 1 tbsp dark so...

Coconut Prawn Curry I stockpile cans like there's no tomorrow . Chopped and plum tomatoes, baked beans, chickpeas, kidney beans, cannellini beans, sweetcorn, pilchards, sardines, corned beef, condensed milk, random meat products which I bought partly because of their amusing names, and even a forlorn tin of Libby's pumpkin, waiting, always waiting, to be turned into pumpkin pie some (Thanksgiving) day. The other tin which stares at me reproachfully is one of coconut milk. "You only ever use me to make ohn-no khao swè ", it says to me. "I am so versatile and exciting. DO SOMETHING WITH ME. LET ME LIVE". So I made up this dish. Coconut Prawn Curry Recipe Serves 4 500g large raw prawns 3 tbsp oil 1 large onion, chopped 4 cloves garlic, chopped 1 lemongrass stalk, trimmed of woody bits and finely chopped OR 1 tsp lemongrass paste 1 tbsp Marigold bouillon 1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes 1 x 400g tin coconut milk 1 tbsp fish sauce Sm...

My favourite restaurant in London is Viajante , so I was absolutely gutted to discover that it's closing at the end of this month. I have always had a brilliant (and sometimes surprising) meal there, and it's as far away from "fayn dayning" as I can think of. (in fact, the last time we went, my husband and I rolled up after having been to Field Day in nearby Victoria Park and one of the festival acts was chatting up a lady on the front doorstep). Nuno Mendes, the chef behind Viajante, is moving on to Chiltern Firehouse which Square Meal describes as: "very different from that of Viajante, with no tasting menus and a more casual feel ... contemporary, ingredient-focused… with an underlying American accent and will showcase the diversity of modern American cooking".   That's all well and good, but what makes Viajante so magnificent is that you turn up, you choose the number of courses you want and then you're left in their wiza...

Tiny thief The first time I tried haggis was 15 years ago when one of my brothers married a Scottish lass up in Edinburgh. If I recall correctly, it was used to stuff a chicken galantine, and I was hugely relieved that it wasn't as offensive as I'd been led to believe. Several years later, I found myself at their house for a Burns Night supper where my sister-in-law began proceedings by reciting a Robert Burns poem, which to this day, my husband refers to as " when Gayle sang to a haggis ". Great Chieftain of the Pudding Race Haggis was relatively difficult to come by down South however - at least, you wouldn't see it in your local butchers or supermarket. I remember when I first saw a MacSween's a few years ago and was delighted that the "real deal" had made it to England. Now of course, you can get a whole selection - I picked up this lot from my Morrisons, including a vegetarian haggis for my mother-in-law which is presumably m...

Miso Salmon, Green Tea Soba Noodles, Stir-fried Shimeji Mushrooms I don't believe in diets, but sometimes I feel like I'm stretched too tightly, uncomfortable in my own skin like the bug man in Men in Black. Times like those, I still want to eat my fill, but I don't want to have to have a lie-down afterwards. This Japanese-influenced dish does the trick - the dressed noodles are bright and zingy, whilst the salmon is sweet, comforting and savoury. Even better, after a bit of advance prep, it only takes 15 minutes to cook. Miso Salmon with Soba Noodles  Serves 2 All ingredients are available in larger supermarkets, health food stores or online from the Japan Centre. 2 salmon fillets, about 150-200g each, skin still on  150g dried soba noodles (I used matcha ie green tea soba)  Groundnut or other neutral oil for frying 1 spring onion, green and white parts, finely sliced  1 tsp black sesame seeds  For the salmon marinade: 1 rou...

Mohinga, Burma's Breakfast of Choice Bursting with contrasting textures, fragrances, and flavours, mohinga is a Burmese catfish chowder served over rice vermicelli. It's the breakfast of choice wherever you go in Burma, and considered our national dish. As soon as we're back in Yangon, my family and I will devour bowl after bowl of mohinga, brought home in huge metal tiffin carriers from the nearest street vendor, or eaten in situ at our favourite stall. Heaped with crispy split-peas, slices of soft duck egg, bouncy fishcake, and fresh feathery coriander leaves, with extra fish sauce and lime to squeeze on the side, it's hard to know when to stop, and for many, their love for mohinga borders on obsession. Mohinga is usually made with small river catfish known in Burmese as nga gyi, nga ku or  nga yunt which I believe are related to the Pangas catfish. While you can't get the same fish in the West, I've found that a combination of tinned mack...